


Turning Point.

by tsuki_is_sarang



Category: Homestuck
Genre: Alternate Universe - Medieval, Angst, Angst and Humor, Character Death, Explicit Sexual Content, F/F, F/M, First Kiss, First Time, Het and Slash, M/M, Oral Sex, Sex, Unresolved Sexual Tension
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2012-05-13
Updated: 2012-08-13
Packaged: 2017-11-05 07:50:55
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 9,691
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/404051
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tsuki_is_sarang/pseuds/tsuki_is_sarang
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Feelings were never the best resolved issue in Alternia, especially due to its blood line concerns and medieval structure, and the very fact that its throne is at the heart of a war doesn't help much. When a rejected Prince declares war against the house of Peixes and all the families they patronized, will the love affair of Alternia still be the same? Who is going to be loyal to their political alliances and who is going to follow their heart? Will Eridan forgive Feferi or try to feel better using Sollux? Is Karkat going to learn how to send the right signs to Terezi? </p><p>And last but not least, will Dave overcome his inner struggles with his feelings for John?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prince of Hope(lessness)

**Author's Note:**

> I'm not good at summaries, sorry.
> 
> Also, I haven't listed all the couples/characters present in this fic or it would be an enormous list. So I simply added key couples; some will be together at the beginning, some will be together for longer throughout the fic and some will end up together. Side pairings will be shown as the fic advances!

There is something really amazing about Alternia. Outsiders usually refer to it as an outdated province in humanity’s map, in which fairytales could be proven to be true and its inhabitants are these completely fantastic creatures – in a sense that a child’s mind would love to wander towards those lands and get to know its fancy dwellers. This idea probably came from the fact that guns had yet to touch its grounds – so far weaponry had kept itself rather medieval. Medieval was exactly how Alternia could be described: social climbers failing miserably to challenge the nobility; prestige being constantly swapped from one family to another; tyranny to a certain extent; crazy beliefs and biased preachers; fortune tellers illegally sharing private information; people eavesdropping their rivals’ private lives and of course – why of course – the lack of an electronic, robotic even, technology. That did not mean they were not advanced in their own terms, and they actually managed to get quite far with only iron, wood and ropes being the basis of their devices.

By the time Eridan Ampora learned about all the slander going on outside his hopefully-soon-to-be kingdom, he was about thirteen years old. Too young to understand the whole medieval comparison, too old to escape the plot he was about to be involved in. His father, commonly referred to by the low-breed ones as ‘Dualscar’ was constantly emphasizing on how their kingdom would be big and possibly the greatest empire of all times. He said foreign technology was irrelevant for there were families within the limits of Alternia that had developed gadgets just as efficient. Weaponry, armor, shields, all sorts of war apparatuses were constantly upgraded so there was nothing to worry. Indeed, other lands had just found out about fire guns so it did not represent quite the threat. Eridan was assured tons of times he “need not worry about it”, learning how to handle all sorts of weapons when just a kid. His father would not allow weakness to take place during their trainings, being considered quite harsh most of the times. But by then he had grown a fine young man, as cold as a stone if one looked at his features – if one was not aware of his true essence. That shall be unveiled later on.

The 13-year-old boy found himself grooming his rebellious strands of dark hair flawlessly, the purple trail symmetrically parting his scalp into two parts perfectly centralized as he wore his squared black glasses. Impeccable eyebrows conferred him an even more arrogant gaze, which was a compliment to his cocky self. A smug grin curled up his lips as he looked into the mirror, fixing his purple scarf before walking out of the bathroom. He was trained to look badass and yet he could not simply quit his vanity like that. Besides, it was not an everyday event to receive visitors of such a highly praised house such as the Peixes. The encounter was regarded as epic – if not rather ironic – for all matters, due to both houses, Ampora and Peixes, holding strong influence over the rest. They were waiting for their moment to rule over Alternia for decades and it seemed to be the right moment and time to begin planning such maneuvers – those details will also be unraveled as the story goes. What mattered at that moment to the skinny, pale Eridan was that he had to head downstairs as quickly as he could just so he could welcome the Peixes like his parents taught him to. His feet were silent as he walked down the stairs, apprehension starting to take over his face as he approached the main hall of their chateau. His eyes were locked at the door when… When, well it happened.

The sight that would change his family – and many others – lives. Walking ahead of the Condense and her companion, there was a little girl. Delicate, angelical even, her eyes of a color he had yet to see in other people’s irises. He could not stop staring at her as he let his eyes run from her soft-looking long dark hair, down to her colorful dress and customized sandals. Her lips parted as she let her pinky tongue wet them for a moment before greeting the Ampora. Her voice filled the air in such a breath-taking manner Eridan had to hold the carved handrail tightly so that he would not fall and roll his way down to the end of the stairs. His legs refused to keep on moving forward as he simply stood and watched that sweet fairy with wide eyes from afar. He had to get there nevertheless or else his parents would kill him, but it was a really hard fight to step forth. He eventually did it, feeling his cheeks blushing at the closeness with the girl.

“Good evening. Welcome to, uhm, the Ampora chateau…” The boy mumbled as he averted his gaze to a random point on the marble floor. The girl smiled at him in the most enchanted way she could – almost as if spells were cast just by the sight of her flawless bright teeth. And they probably were since Eridan was completely hypnotized by her figure. His mouth dropped a little out of instinct as he heard their parents stepping away with those forced giggles about kids and their odd interactions. Eridan did not like it when his parents treated him like a complete sack of immature shit, but he was not going to confront them now. Not now the girl was tilting her head and widening her eyes at his hair. “It’s purple…” She mumbled in a denotative statement, raising a hand to touch him. Her tiny fingers caressed his scalp like a velvet glove as she smiled again. “I like it, Eridan.”

And that was it. When he realized she already knew who he was, he was lost. Completely sold to her witchcraft and magic – because that’s how she stole his heart. Making use of totally unfair means, yes.

A few years later, when they were both about nineteen years old, their mere friendship had evolved to a quiet, secretive crush they had both developed throughout the years their families kept a friendly relationship. The issues lying underneath this so called “friendly relationship” ended up being much more relevant and evident as the years passed by, enough to trigger the girl’s feelings even more. That is how they started scheduling encounters regardless of their parents attending them or not; they just wanted to see each other and talk about how it would be, to rule a place as big as Alternia was, or maybe discuss how to manage some troublesome families they both knew needed some extra attention to be put in their place. Royalty matters, really. But that is how they spent a lot of their moments together. Well, until Eridan got to a point in which he could no longer stick to these simplistic talks.

The moment Eridan Ampora finally decided to open his eyes and admit something had to be done. And that something had to happen at that very night the Peixes were invited to dine at their chateau, exactly six years after he first met the love of his life. He thought it was a pretty meaningful date in their calendars and so he started preparing himself mentally to the great confession of his life. The jitters were taking over him just like on that very day six years ago, only this time they did not feel like those awful forces compelling him to do something correctly or else his parents would kill him. This time he could clearly feel butterflies playfully messing up with his stomach, the thought of rejection haunting him like a bloody ghost trying to keep him from accomplishing his goal for the night. He would not comply though, resisting the urge to remain shy and being brave. One of the few times in his life that he was actually brave. His dull eyes had some glow then as he looked at his image in the mirror, taking deep breaths as he fixed his newly-bought lilac scarf, the purple strand of his dark hair still being an outstanding feature of his. That’s it, Ampora. Time to make it happen.

“Uhm, good evening, princess…” The brunet started off, bowing no more than 15 degrees as he waited for her usual smile. Some formalities would never change between them, even if only for the sake of their nobility. She greeted him back, wondering what their parents would discuss on that very dinner as they sat next to each other at the enormous dining table. Dualscar had such peculiar taste for furniture, it was not even funny. While they were talking, the boy hardly paid them any attention, much more concerned with the feminine figure by his side. He knew the moment the adults left to sit by the fireplace, the girl and he would be free to interact as they pleased, so he had only meal time to rehearse his lines one last time. And it was supposed to work like this: since he could not blatantly confess his feelings, he would try a different approach. So he would remind her of all the advantages marrying an Ampora had, all the social privileges and wealth, and thus vanquish her heart –which would most certainly melt right away to all his soon-to-be might. That sounded so much better than simply saying straight to her face that he loved her and risking looking like a fool. He was not sure if she had been looking at him the same way he had been looking at her so exposing his feelings like that could only mean one thing: weakness. Therefore, exhibiting his good points would convince her to be with him effectively and he would have a lifetime to make her truly love him. The plan sounded quite good, yes.

The plan, not what actually happened. Eridan stumbled with his words rushing through his vocal tract, trying hard to stick to what he had prepared a week before. And yet, all he could do was frown and speak louder than he normally would, attempting to overcome his own nervousness with his tone of voice – which only worsened the whole scenario. The girl watched the whole scene quite shocked, eyes widening at each of the boy’s words. He sounded angry, forced even, frowning further and further – and so was she. Was he throwing some kind of random shitty fit or was he just attesting how lame his eloquence actually was? She could not tell, but her frustration was crystal clear the moment she thought she had figured it out. So Eridan wanted to marry her for the political advantage it represented? So all their afternoons and evenings together were just a role play he had been secretly playing with her to get her to fall for him? That was just unacceptable. That was just… Outrageous, even! How could such lady be fooled by such cheap tricks as the ones she could clearly see then. How insulted she was will forever be a mystery, but it was enough to make her stomp to the door and leave a helpless Eridan behind.

What. Wait, hold on a minute. Wait, what had just happened? Eridan stared at the door after she had left him all by himself, blinking as lost as he could feel and trying to process the whole situation. So she turned him down. She did not want to mate with him. She refused his proposal. To put it in better words, bitch ditched you, dude. The house of Hussie was each day weaker and yet that wrecked, insensitive brat decided she was better off without you, a pretty fine dude. Was life even meant to make any sense at this point? You did not know, but you did know what you had to do, Eridan. You had to carry out the Ampora’s reputation. You would be the finest heir they could have given birth to and that could only be achieved by, of course, only one way, which was…

 

_Killing the Peixes._


	2. Witch of (Regretful) Life

Feferi Peixes liked the idea that she was living a romantic story come true. It was the picture perfect Shakespearean drama –if there was even a William Shakespeare in their land to begin with – and the hopefully-to-be empress came to learn of what kept their families so close quickly. The Ampora and the Peixes had mutual interests in taking control over Alternia so that they could carry some kind of dictatorship plan. If that was the matter, then she could easily be paired up by her parents to marry the son of the Ampora, Eridan. She could be with the boy she learned to love over the years they spent together at their not-so-awkward-anymore family meetings and her stomach would thank her for quelling the butterflies in it. But things were not as simple as kids would like them to be and so she heard her parents talking about political matters she did not understand when she was only a 13-year-old girl. All Feferi knew was that she had to behave well in front of that wealthy family they would meet. And that she could not fall for their son, since apparently her parents planned on slowly turning the tables in their favor.

Still, the thing about the heart is that the heart only knows what concerns the heart. It knows no political boundaries or old lineage differences and it questions the arguments reason might impose. Feferi was a victim of the heart and so she knew her fate was doomed and reduced to loving Eridan. He seemed to be quite different from what her mother constantly preached about the filthy spirits of the Ampora, his fashion sense being something that would forever amuse her. While brushing her own long, dark strands of hair, the yet-to-be princess would wonder about all those reasons she had to comply with her parents’ plans, her hazel eyes hiding all the worries that came with those thoughts. According to her ancestors, her lover’s family was a bunch of bloodthirsty murderers that wanted power so that they could kill mindlessly whoever crossed their path. It was not of her knowledge that reality was much more childish than that: both families begrudgingly regarded each other due to previous kingdom management problems. One of them would always feel neglected somehow or claim they were being less privileged than the other, just like spoiled kids. And so the hatred grew to a point in which they had to find effective ways to confront each other. Not only through petitions or patronizing smaller families would they fulfill their urge to overcome one another; it would take a much more elaborated ploy – one that included playing nice and pretending to be friends until the fall of Hussie. Until war started and their forces could finally clash without receiving punishments from the authority at the time.

Of course the Ampora had the same idea, but much to Eridan’s later despise, they did not let him know about it. Which led him to confess in a totally inappropriate manner and resulted in a broken hearted Feferi. That is completely true, girl was devastated and helpless after hearing how they should marry for the sake of politics and that a union of their wealth would result in a threatening alliance to the other households. She just wanted to hear that one word, those four letters that would assure her he was not the bad guy; that word that would show her he was not the monster her parents depicted him as. She just wanted him to express his love for her but instead, she witnessed that atrocious display of material interest from the guy. What a fool, to think you were such a silly girl as to fall for such cheap traps. Feferi, you could lead your own people if you wanted. You were born with royal blood, one of the highest on the blood scale of your kingdom. You would not bend over to this man and call him your Lord. You will get your personal revenge, Feferi. And by that you could only mean you will…

_Make him pay._


	3. Mage of (Our) Doom

What both royal-blooded kids were unaware of, though, was that a boy of their age watched them from afar. Being one of the Ampora’s servants, Sollux Captor was just a boy when the scene developed right in front of his eyes. Well, that is, if he even had eyes. Prophecies said the Captors would eventually give birth to a blessed child, graced by the Gods and gifted with amazing cognitive powers, able to even foresee future misfortunes and architect the most intricate of schemes. All these benedictions would cost him a price though, and that would be his sight. The most accurate prophecy preached that the chosen child would be devoid of eyes, having horrid dark spheres instead of ocular globes in his face. Well, so the legend told. When Sollux was born, it was early reported that his eyes were dysfunctional and had to be covered permanently to prevent the boy’s health from weakening. Psionic, his father, had never been more proud of being a Captor. After all those years being subjugated by the higher bloods and being demanded to offer his relatives as slaves to the Peixes and the Ampora, he would finally get his revenge through his son.

As a result of such great happening, Sollux was given a pair of black goggles to wear constantly and a thorough training by both his parents on how to perceive reality around him. His eyes could not see, but his ears could listen tons of times better, his nose could smell things faster and his every pore could sense the environment surrounding him much more precisely than many sight-blessed beings. His senses were expanded to their utmost range whereas his eyes remained unveiled. Even during his sleep it was possible to spot him wearing the goggles he had, adding to the folk’s curiosity as to whether he was even born with them in the first place or not. Some said a terrible curse would befall their grounds if his goggles were ever removed and the majority of people simply went along with the old tales about his enhanced powers. Notwithstanding their heavenly son, the Captor knew it would not be enough to force the high bloods to kneel down and ask for forgiveness. They knew it would take them years of plotting to finally achieve their master goal – to achieve their revenge.

Sollux was just a couple of years younger than Eridan and Feferi, but he was old enough to understand what unfolded before him; frustration, broken hearts and lost expectations… He could smell their feelings from behind the wall he was hiding, alert to hear the quietest of steps coming from the kitchen. As long as he was not caught by the other servants of the house, he could eavesdrop for as long as he found it to be convenient. His presence there as a servant, for those who wonder, was another display of the Ampora’s clear intentions to outlive the Peixes by recruiting as many houses as they could, the Captors being one of them with Sollux’s birth. Once they heard of the news and the boy’s skills, it was only obvious their next step would be to offer some patronage to them, in spite of all the humiliation they were exposed to in the past by the higher bloods. Psionic was no fool and quickly accepted such alliance, infiltrating his precious son in their household so they could have first hand information on the matter. However, Dualscar was silly to simply serve the boy with a tray full of secret truffles; he would first show who bossed around and whom Sollux had to respond to: to Eridan and no one else.

Eridan was not very happy with that idea at first; it almost felt like his parents got him an adopted brother to foster and he was selfish enough to dread the idea of having siblings. The first two weeks Sollux spent with him were probably the toughest, especially since none of them seemed to abound communicative traits that could have allowed them to get along easily. Instead, their moments together were filled with awkward silences and conversational blanks they did not seem to figure out how to solve. Later on Eridan eventually learned Sollux could actually talk quite smoothly, he just did not do it before for he was not sure whether it would bother the Ampora prince or not. Nevertheless, it was a hard task to convince Eridan he was there to offer some extra help and precious data on future events regarding their family, but once his trust was conquered, there was not much to do but wait until they were grown enough to have their fates changed by casualty.

Such moment was coming. Sollux could feel it in his bones the second Feferi’s reaction hit him. It was coming for good, and it would not be a pretty thing to behold.

“Your Highness…” The humble son of Captor started off, bending forth in front of Eridan’s bedroom door. The Peixes were long gone by then, leaving a hurt Eridan all alone in his bedroom. Dualscar and his wife could not even dream of what his son did, so the emotive prince was locked inside his room, contemplating his murderous thoughts – a result of that lingering feeling of rejection that hurt his pride. The salty taste of his tears only added to the whole failure his behavior was, making him even more angered at himself and at Feferi. “I ask you permission to enter your quarters…” The servant insisted, standing still as he was. His ears detected the elder’s steps towards the door and soon enough he felt Eridan’s eyes downcast on him. “If it is of your liking, that is…”

“How long have you been out here before asking for my permission to enter, Captor?” The arrogant prince inquired as he unlocked his door, leaving it ajar so he could hide behind it, which was pointless since Sollux was blind. There was no real point in hiding, right? But Eridan remained that way, trying hard to hide the fact that he had been crying by sobbing silently while rubbing his eyes. The servant played with his own messy short strands of dark brown hair as he stared blankly at the direction his lord’s voice was coming, and although he could hear the sobbing and tell the other was emotional, he remained serene and merely grabbed the doorframe as he spoke. “Long enough to let you know of my presence, my Prince. Is that too long?” He already knew the right answers to give by now, and so Eridan backed off to let him in.

“Don’t tell my father…” The Ampora’s son mumbled, closing the door behind him and averting his gaze to his bed. The sheets were a total mess and his pillow was slightly wet from the crying. Fortunately, Sollux couldn’t see that and think less of him, or he wouldn’t even think of letting the guy in. “It’s not like I’ve seen anything to tell him, your Highness…” Sollux stated in his sober voice as he waited patiently for Eridan to indicate where he was supposed to be. The spoiled prince had that sort of habit: bossing him around. So he simply stood there, breathing the atmosphere in and out as Eridan’s steps got closer. By the silence between them, he could tell the royal boy did not pay attention to his reply and that was probably due to his own thoughts. After a moment or so, the one with a purple lock of hair led his servant to sit on his bed next to him, his eyes downcast at the low-blood’s lap.

“…That wicked brat has rejected me. Like a mermaid, she took my heart”, he mumbled nearly inaudibly, ashamed of such emotional vulnerability, “and like a mermaid she so destroyed it…” His voice softly faded. Not that his voice was ever truly soft for Eridan’s pitch held something only obnoxious boys held; something that took after his father’s and resembled arrogance, disgust but specially, fear. Not typical fear, but a much more hidden fear. In the Prince’s case it was the fear he was pretty much forced to face at the moment in hand: the fear of loneliness… “I could take her anywhere she wanted, do anything she could possibly ask me and yet she refused to use her senses. How could she, Sol?!” His voice trembled as he gave up, burying his face into the heat that the servant’s lap so seemed to offer. Sollux welcomed the proximity, his mouth not failing him as he remained emotionless, raising a hand to caress the prince’s hair. Tenderly. His lack of speech was not due to being clueless of what to say, but he figured the absence of his words was most adequate to the situation, merely offering his presence as a comfort to the older of them both.

“She has to pay her price, Sol… She does. Her dept with me will never mend. Not after this humiliation, oh no…” Eridan added, hands smoothing the rough fabric of Sollux’s pants as he spoke. He was not shedding tears from his sadness anymore, but his eyes were still wet as to reflect that the pain had yet to leave room for some joy, and so he fought to focus his sight on the other’s clothes – to no avail, since it only made him space out for a moment. And when silence had reached its 20-minute mark, the Captor boy decided it was finally time to make a move. “Not only did she humiliate you, as well as refused what could have saved her unfortunate family from the doomed ending they are to face. You ought to make something about it indeed, Your Highness.” He sounded as certain as possible, but also very calm, indifferent even. He was not trying to instigate anything there; just highlight the relevant points of the events of that evening.

It would be the beginning of the Captor’s bigger plans for the future of Alternia. The two houses would have their epic struggle for the throne and would so fail to accomplish such goal, for their two mighty forces would weaken each other; almost like a chemical equation, where one would null the other and that would be the moment for the Captors –and all subjugated families, too– to rise to power. It would be his time to…

_Ascend._


	4. Maid of Time(less Relations)

Later that week, when Sollux Captor’s feet hit the marble floor of the Peixes’s immense castle, his features posed a very serene air, though his slightly raised chin indicated to those who were attentive how that enormous architectural display of the family’s power was merely a preposterous exhibit to him and nothing more, especially since he could only know of its extents by how his steps echoed throughout the hall he was in. Still, he would not dare say a word about it as he was led into the special chamber the Peixes kept to deal with unexpected guests. A man that could be considered the embodiment of strength was leading his way towards such chamber, the uncomfortable silence between them barely forcing them to say anything; Sollux would rather pretend he was watching the antique and tapestry furnishing the corridors of their manor, even if it was common knowledge that he was blind. “Should you need anything, ring the bell over the fireplace and a servant will be sent at your disposal. Lady Feferi shall not take longer to meet you…” The man said, closing the door quietly behind him. Quite an explanation of where the bell was considering he had no eyes to even see the fireplace, but it was not like he would need any other servant in the room that not himself.

The guard-looking man was not aware of the glances the Captor boy had cast at the pieces of art displayed around the place, but a few meters away, a girl watched silently as the man walked away, her feet barely making any sound as she strolled to the room Sollux was in. Her voluminous dark hair waving delicately as she stepped closer to the door. Her face held no clear emotions as she handled the doorknob with her thin fingers, eyes widening at what was before them. “Sollux. So it is really you…” Her voice, a mere whisper as the door clicked closed behind her.

The light-brown haired Captor boy showed some surprise at the familiar voice echoing in the chamber, his fingers refraining from hovering over the surface of the fireplace to give all his attention to her. “Aradia…” It started off as a mumble, as if he was hoping further confirmation would follow suit, but the girl just remained silent as her eyes scanned him. “Aradia Megido, is that you whom I now speak to?” He raised his tone of voice a pitch, his ears trying to figure out her exact positioning in the room as he waited for her response. “What are you doing here, of all places?” Aradia did not sound out rightly chocked nor surprised, but merely curious. With the knowledge of Sollux’s blindness came the understanding that he was one of the Ampora’s assets and should, therefore, remain within their property, almost as if he was kept captive of them, leaving only when demanded to. The Megido daughter fixed her maid-like skirt as she tilted her head slightly, simply reading his features as he refused to answer her question. She learned that same week that things had not gone according to Feferi’s best wishes and that Eridan had become persona non grata. Not only him but also whoever had connections with the Ampora was forbidden from talking to the Princess, so the boy’s presence there was a little more than just odd and her eyes would not mask her suspicions on him.

“I say your hair grows darker by the season now…” That would have to suffice as a reply for the boy had no intentions to expose his plans. Instead, he motioned his hand in the air as if caressing an invisible scalp. The Megido and the Captor were known as one of the less privileged families among the popular ones of Alternia and as such, a very early alliance had formed between these two households so that they could rest assured they would find outer support in case of a war. Not that their two bloodlines alone could do miracles, but it would be easier to deal with opposing families than standing on their own, separately. As a result, Aradia and Sollux spent many afternoons playing together, especially since his parents were extremely fond of his training his senses with a friendly mate. He would learn to develop and improve his perception faster by interacting with her from their early years till when he was done training and was finally sent to the Ampora, to be scarcely seen after such.

“How could you tell if the pigment that dyes my hair is darker when the same lack of color stains your eyes further from sight…” The brunette dished out a rhetorical question, not exactly waiting for a response before she was already at the door again. “I shall take my leave now, Sollux. The Princess is never too late as to allow her subordinates to plot despicable plans.” And with those words, she left Sollux to his fortune, still wondering why he would go there of all places when the house of Hussie was weakening and a war was brewing. There was more to it than she could think of then, but it would not be the only moment she would catch herself locked on such thoughts.

“Kneel before royalty, blind son of the undeserving.” Feferi mused out as she entered the room, walking into a contemplative Sollux. By then he had already figured all the pieces of memorabilia and furniture adorning the room –everything he could have touched, he did so. He found himself loitering against an armchair, fingers idly fixing his untamed strands of dark-brown hair and the moment the Princess’s voice was heard, his eye brows naturally furrowed slightly as he turned around to face the direction her voice came from. “You are well-aware of my responding and that belongs to His Honor Eridan Ampora and him only. It is expected that my humbleness is shown to those I respond to and no one else…” The servant had to manage her lips in order to prevent them from curling up at his own daring demeanor, the thought of Feferi’s face entertained in his mind as he awaited her verbal reaction.

Feferi was nineteen just as Eridan was, but she could hardly disguise her childish mannerisms sometimes, pouting at his words. She was not one to require as much agreeability as her mother but her pride had been damaged nevertheless by his attitude. “Well, you had better learn some consideration to whom you are before, foolish servant. Hasn’t that ill-tempered Ampora taught you anything good? How burdensome it is when it comes to my knowledge that little has Eridan done to those around him…” She vented acrimoniously as her tiny feet made little to no noise against the expensive carpet there. She ventured to approach the blind boy, although careful, curiosity got the best of her as the girl tilted her head. Opposing to Aradia’s savage-looking locks of dark hair, Feferi’s were much better arranged, her bangs pulled back by a golden tiara to highlight her bright eyes. Widening them a bit, she was certain the boy could not see her or else he would’ve displayed some sort of disturbance by the faces she was making.

“Are you done inspecting me, Princess Peixes?” His sudden question made her hold her breath in shock, stepping a little bit away with carelessness as to almost drop a vase with her elbow. So the rumors were true, then, that his senses were enhanced to their very best in order to compensate his eyes. Such an advantage would be more than welcomed by her family, but she had not the malice it took to envision such thing, especially for she knew he already belonged to another family. “Indeed I am not, but that shall do for the moment… What brings such Ampora partisan to these waters?” The girl then eased her posture, slowly strolling to one of the armchairs in the room. Once seated, she watched him attentively as he found his way around the armchair he was close to and sat as well. “Issues that would be better discussed with the heiress alone. I hope you did come unaccompanied, or else I’d like to politely ask whoever is in our presence to leave the room. I represent no danger as you can see, for I carry no weapons or means to do you harm.” The Captor child raised his arms in a surrender gesture; her mother once taught it was part of showing honesty to use proper body language, even if he was at disadvantage at such matter.

“I can assure you I came at my own risk for little threat I see on a sightless servant. You may go as you wish, son of the Captor. However, and that I shall emphasize, time stands very little if your purposes do not fulfill the requirements my interests demand.” She raised her chin as she spoke, a grin parting her pink-tinted lips as she added: “I might walk on you speaking even.” The princess teased him, placing her delicate palms on both sides of the armchair. The boy did not seem to be much shaken by her words, curling his lips slightly as he rested his back comfortably onto the armchair. A hand was raised as he began his speech as to why he was there, telling her of what she was probably already aware of: that the Ampora and the Peixes were never meant to be more than enemies that happened to cease their quarrels temporarily. He also confided that of which Feferi heard from his parents, that he had strong reasons to believe the Ampora had only agreed with such smooth relations to the Peixes to try sneaking into their plans and being one step ahead of them, and that Feferi’s family probably had similar intentions with such proximity to the Ampora. Everything he said had hitherto made sense and fit into the bigger picture she had of the political situation they all found themselves immerged in, and so she asked him if he was there only to narrate facts that seemed to be well-known by both families.

“Don’t you find it rather curious that my assumptions match yours, when my intellect is so poorly regarded? It means the most idiotic of beings could have easily seen such moves from both households, and yet both seem to pretend it does not concern them when it greatly does so…” He faked his humility with such line when he truly thought he could reach farther conclusions the female with him could, but he would not openly pronounce it. Sollux had her full attention with such remark, instinctively leaning in as if to better listen to him. “Now that you put it that way, it is somewhat strange indeed. It would be very careless of them to neglect each other’s smartness in such simple way. I suggest the two parties have each their own plan of outmatching each other and that is what they are truly seeking for.” Feferi spoke after a moment of silent, furrowing her thin eyebrows as she awaited his response.

“You figured it out well, Princess. There is something both are hiding and, at the same pace, both are seeking for.” He rose from his seat, painstakingly touching the furniture around him as to not damage any of it as he stepped towards the older person in the room. His goggles masked whatever intentions his eyes could allude, his mouth as steady as the air in the chamber they were as he stood a few feet apart from her. “My family has grown fond of the Peixes, Princess. Very fond, actually. And that is due to my vast knowledge on how the Ampora work.” He started off, leaning closer to the girl that seemed to display no rejection for such proximity. “Both families are waiting for the other to accidentally slip details on their military tactics. That is why they have yet to show any rivalry between them. Because they need such information from one another, and that remains unraveled.” Sollux remained the way he was and Feferi could feel some sort of intensity coming from him, her hand lifted to touch his briefly. Hovering a finger on the back of his hand, she stared at him willingly waiting for more to come out of his mouth. “So…”

The Captor's boy appreciated her soft touch but demonstrated nothing. His hand remained the way it was though as he tilted his head. “You are aware of how our family has signed an invisible treatment of slavery the moment I was given to be used by the Ampora. My father thought it would be a way to regain prestige but it has only driven us farther from his goal…” There was something really bitter about his voice when he told her that, but she did not dare interfere as her eyes widened. He seemed pretty vulnerable telling his story like that and her compassion made room in her heart to give the servant some credit. “It would get me killed if he knew of what I am doing, especially since I told Eridan I’d pay him a visit…” He spoke once more, now bringing his hand closer to him to break contact with the girl. “But I came here to say that I do owe respect to Prince Eridan and Eridan only, but I would more than gladly fall under your grace if so you wished to patronize me.”

The moment Sollux's speech was over, he kneeled down right before her, lowering his head as the ultimate submissive gesture. “The houses are to start a war very soon, and the sooner their military advantages are unveiled, the sooner their rivals can prepare for a more certain victory. I have watched you from afar, Princess. My senses are not all compromised so I can still sense your nature. I wouldn’t want anything else for the name Captor than to have such an ally.” The dark-brown haired boy spoke in a smooth tone of voice that transpired honesty, throwing Feferi off guard as she rested her kind hand upon his head. They were too young to engage in such affairs and yet, they were too old not to care about them. Poor generation that one which dwells on pain and suffering from those before them, for their fate is nothing but a sequel to their own.

“You can have my word, son of the Captor, that should my rise to power be due to your help, I can no longer hold your family under such disgrace. You will have your glory by standing close to the Peixes if so you wish.” She ran her fingers softly through his fierce locks of hair, down to his forehead. “Now, go. Your master awaits. We shall see how the next encounters unfold and how helpful your advice shall be. Only then, your prize you will claim.”

Sollux slowly pulled away from her touch, his face shown with a timid smile. “You should hear of me pretty soon, Your Greatness.” He said in response before standing up and finding his way to the door. A guard accompanied him his entire way to the exit of the property and he had to fight hard the urge to let go of his arm and walk on his own since he had learned the way the first time he stepped in such place, but protocol was protocol and so he left the manor. Aradia’s eyes were watching him from the crack of a window on the second floor, curious as to what sort of endeavor was that such as visiting the Peixes. Her thoughts would insist on the subject for a little longer. Longer enough for another guest to notice...


	5. Heir of Void (and Shame)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry! it took me forever to come up with this chapter, but here it is! I hope you like it :)

Not very far from the window Aradia found herself resting against, a boy observed her silently. He could not help but anticipate each and every moment he would spend in that castle, no matter how unbearable it was to hear his father talking to him on their way there. Equius Zahhak could be considered a jock by what his friends said about him – he was not much older than Aradia and was tall and built enough to look like he was a grown-up already. His features would seem to show some sort of aggressive edge, but for those who were close enough it was more than obvious the boy’s nature was actually quite passive, his eyes not lying as he stared daydreaming to where the girl probably was. Being the son of Darkleer meant his father was always on duty to serve the Peixes, to protect their interests and their household no matter the circumstances, and so was Equius expected to follow suit and become the next Chief Guard of the hopefully-soon-to-be Royal Family.

The brunet had always found it to be fascinating that he had such fate ahead of him. It made him feel not only useful, but also noble. He had a higher purpose in life which was to serve the same cause his father did, and so assure the kingdom of Alternia their political leadership could rest safe and unharmed. So the very fact that joining his father on duty meant mainly watching him escort people from one room to the other and stand still in the door way was not exactly such a thing for the teenager to endure. He was quite used to it by then. However, there was something else... Something he did not expect to happen and when it did, he just prayed his father would never find out. It was something so simple, ordinary some might say. Those four letters to choke upon...

Well, love happened. And Lord, had he wished it was just a crush or a mere temporary emotional state. The first time he realized he wanted Aradia Megido for himself was a couple of years before, when he accidentally parted from his father and ended up in her quarters – the maids’ bedroom. It was a very crowded room with three bunk beds in it and a tiny window just so they could pretend they had some real oxygen to breathe there. His eyes were wide open and alert, aware of what was surrounding him: a very odd environment unfolded before him, with conditions he could never imagine people would agree to live in.

 _“What are you doing here, son of the great Darkleer?”_ A low – but quite firm – voice asked behind him, making Equius jump on his feet and turn around as quick as his reflexes allowed him to. Being the son of a warlord had his advantages in these situations, like the defensive stance he displayed. His guard was soon off when the tall guy saw a very delicate lady standing there though. Her outfit gave her designation away for only a maid would dress like she did, his eyes still scanning her out of pure curiosity. It was like they say: beware of what you look for, young Zahhak; you might find it. And he did. He found a beautiful lady to behold, enchanted by the sweet, silent melancholy her eyes held. Equius’s lips fought to remain shut but his amazement was much too greater than his will allowed, astonishment being perhaps what better described the glow in his eyes. _“I, I’m...”_ He stuttered, one hand holding so hard onto one of the beds nearby that he could swear he heard the wood it was made of cracking and about to break. _“You needn’t be surprised by my knowing your name, Young Zahhak.”_ She felt like adding for he looked quite speechless at that time to say something himself. _“Your dad is one most proud of his heir, thus your image among us, the maids.”_ Aradia bowed slightly to show respect to his superior rank, though her eyes were firmly trapped into his two pitch-black orbs. He would not cast them away for a thing in the world.

 _“I see... Even though he is much greater, he is still in such position as to praise me...”_ The boy mumbled to himself, pulling his long strands of dark hair behind his shoulders as a slight curl of his lips could be spotted. Ever since he let his hair grow out his father would sometimes tease him by calling him an elf, though he had no idea what that could mean. Elves were not a part of their mythology and so he would just shrug and pretend he got the joke. Whatever, he was then busy with the muse he had in front of him. Because that is how everything started, simple like that.

**___________________________________________________________________________**

After their first encounter, Equius wondered if he was not being possessed by some sort of sorcery, witchcraft maybe. How could a blood as pure and noble as his be seduced by an existence that was for nothing but to serve the elevated classes? That was illegal – literally. He ought to mate with one of his own kind or else the honor and prestige of his lineage will be both erased from the records of time and be replaced by shame instead. The young boy did not want that and so he spent a number of weeks away from the Peixes threshold, a number great enough to convince him his foolish thoughts had vanished like vapor in the air. He got busy with archery in the meanwhile, following in the footsteps of his father for Darkleer was known for his expertise as an Archer.

Equius could not say he was himself as good and skilled with the arrow and bow, but it provided a nice distraction for the days he was not accompanying his father – not to mention a very plausible excuse not to go. Telling his progenitor that his heart found a potential mate in a peasant would be the stupidest thing he could do. When he finally felt it was safe to join his father once more, he left the apparel he had been using to train, took a deep breath and stepped into that huge castle – those almost three months apart from it made the whole building feel even more sophisticated than it was, his senses demanding a more accurate map of the place from his memory than what he had. Perhaps it was just him trying to get to Aradia’s room again unconsciously, or perhaps his memory was really bad. Truth be told, he did end up there once more.

And what once started there was lit again, brighter than Equius could possibly think of ignoring. The son of the Zahhak had to, then, face the very fact that for as long as he knew Aradia he would have his feelings loyal to her, and even though he had sworn to not dishonor his house and refrain from making any moves on her, she knew quite too well of his feelings. Which leads to that very day he found himself staring at the window before stepping in the manor, his fists clenched tightly as he did so.

“Sir Zahhak, the Young...” One of the maids bowed in his presence, but he merely waved his hand at her as he stepped further into the household. “If you are looking for Miss Megido, she rests in our quarters for she just attended to a visitor of Her Highness Feferi”. Maids: always spilling the beans without even considering the consequences. A visitor? If it were Eridan as it had been till a few days before the girl would have said so, so why did she not bring up any names? If he were not a few minutes behind his father in an attempt to control his anxiety – as usual – maybe he would have seen the so called visitor. Mayhap that Aradia might enlighten him if he so asked? He hoped she would, nodding to the maid and following straight to that stuffy, crowded bedroom those servants called “home”.

“Aradia, daughter of the departed Megido, may I have a word with yourself?” The brunet stood right next to the door frame, the open crack allowing him to see that she was sitting there, merely watching her own long locks of rather curly hair as if hypnotized by such act. “I thought I was not worth your attention, sir Equius. You yourself have told me I should not stand before you so often.” Her voice was a little annoyed and he could not see, but her lips curled in a very bitter manner as she mouthed those words. The boy, on the contrary, seemed quite embarrassed by his own demeanor, his hands nervously covering his own mouth, then falling back to his sides. “If I told you that it was to remind you of the gap there is between your heritage and my own, nothing more. I wish not to avoid your presence if so you understood, and so apologize for such inconvenient misunderstanding. Shan’t you come here now?” Only an oblivious fool like his father could not see his son’s blatant feelings for her. His attempts to shun his emotions were always followed by his regretful apologies so that he never succeeded in pushing her away in a definite manner. Just like what was expected of a confused, complicated teenage romance, yes?

“It is your word against mine, oh Respectful Son of the Archer.” Aradia slowly stood from her bed, stretching her arms lightly – almost like a fairy – just to, then, head towards the door, her eyes downcast till she reached her admirer. Resting a comforting hand on his elbow, Megido tilted his head to look up at him. A few days before, Equius had made clear that the distance between them was an insult to his ego and he demanded be touched by her whenever they interacted (that is, after saying his house was much superior in wars and history than many others, including the Captor), so she was doing what she could to fulfill his request. “You look troubled, sir. What is it that furrows your eye brows? Is it my abusive responses?” The young Zahhak was quite sure that lady was a gypsy in her past life with such a luscious behavior towards him. Had she no scruples to act like that? He could never tell if her mysterious lips were telling falsehoods or if sincerity was all there was to hear from them, though the latter was what he would always choose to believe.

“A visitor came to speak to Her Highness, Feferi Peixes, I believe. It intrigues me who if not Eridan, son of the Ampora, would dare come here to see her in flesh. After all, my father’s blood runs in my veins and a concern as this would be expected from our house.” That kind of comment was always necessary in his mindset, so the girl was already used to ignoring them and simply nodding in agreement. About the visitor, though, he could only be meaning Sollux Captor for no other male or female went through those gates the Zahhak helped guarding that day. “I believe the one you speak of is the blessed child, Sollux Captor.”

Ah, again with that foolish legend the folk came up with to have something to brag about. Never was there a time Equius publicly defied the veracity of such myth, but he was not so sure himself if that was truly possible that a guy as almighty as him could be born from a lineage of no prestige like the Captor. It was much more likely that the blue or purple blooded would bring into existence such a fascinating being. And to think he visited that palace that very same day was somehow intriguing. “What business has he with Her Highness? Is he to come back in the morrow?” His words were impatient, like a spoiled child waiting for the gifts his parents promised him to, but what could he do if he was much too eager to even help his voice? The idea of seeing with his own very eyes a long told tale sounded inviting enough to the apprentice of the Archer, raising a hand to the girl’s shoulder. He hesitated for a moment, only the tip of his fingers reaching out first. He wasn’t one of big coordination though, so his limb forced his whole hand towards her, causing him to abruptly grip her pale skin – and his own to blush quite ridiculously.

“… You need not hurry me in such a manner, sir Equius…” She mumbled, her gypsy eyes peeking at his hand with a certain air of dare. She challenged him to be superior, he thought; that’s what she did to him, definitely. However brutal it might have been, Aradia did not show great despise for the act so he kept his hand where it was. What are you doing, Equius Zahhak? Is it not going far, more than you have ever gone? Where does your self-control rest now that you seem to have lost it? Should it be recollected, he hoped there would still be time to make amends for that gesture. Oh, he hoped so many things…

“They both dismissed my company. Their businesses with each other I would not know, but the gifted did seem to muse out something about recalling the hallways so he could visit us later this week. Perhaps your Great Father, Lord Darkleer, knows more of it than I do?” Her fingers finally gave up holding his elbow, picking at her skirt instead as she looked away from him, trying to spy on the corridor behind the boy blocking her way.

“Yes, why of course my father would know that…” Zahhak rolled his eyes at the obvious suggestion. He was not all that willing to obtain information from his father as he was to getting it from her, but insisting was useless; she said it herself how the events were and so he let go of her shoulder, painfully wondering if there were people watching them. He really crossed his limits this time. “…You may go now, Megido. Next time you see me, you should not worry of touching me. It bothered me so do not repeat it…” Done. That was how he thought he could regain control of the situation before turning around and walking away, feeling his fingers shaking nervously. To think he touched her roughly like that was such a sin – a delicious, wonderful sin.

The day went by quite fast after that and soon enough it was time to walk back home, the awkward silence between Darkleer and his heir not annoying them in that particular evening. Well, nothing was actually awkward if compared to the girl hiding in a tree nearby their manor. Her sharp eyes watched Equius attentively as she stood in a branch, flawlessly finding her balance half an hour before they passed by just so she could wait for him, the heir of the Archer. And he knew she would be there for that was their tree; whenever one wanted to talk to the other, they set that tree as the place where to meet. So the moment their eyes met, he knew what it was about.

The idea did not amuse him a bit.


End file.
